In this IPL 2026 match, both teams made important changes. Royal Challengers Bengaluru are missing Phil Salt due to injury, while Gujarat Titans have added Jason Holder to their lineup. Here is a simple and clear update on team news and playing XIs.
Match Update and Toss
RCB won the toss and chose to bowl first in their final league match at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.
Phil Salt’s injury is a big setback for RCB. He scored 202 runs in 6 matches this season with an average of 33.66 and two fifties.
Devdutt Padikkal will open the innings in his place. Jacob Bethell has been named as a replacement but is kept as an impact substitute since RCB will bat second.
RCB Playing XI
| Player | Role |
|---|---|
| Virat Kohli | Batter |
| Devdutt Padikkal | Batter |
| Rajat Patidar (c) | Captain |
| Jitesh Sharma (w) | Wicketkeeper |
| Tim David | All-rounder |
| Romario Shepherd | All-rounder |
| Krunal Pandya | All-rounder |
| Bhuvneshwar Kumar | Bowler |
| Josh Hazlewood | Bowler |
| Suyash Sharma | Bowler |
| Rasikh Salam Dar | Bowler |
Impact Subs: Jacob Bethell, Jordan Cox, Mangesh Yadav, Vicky Ostwal, Venkatesh Iyer
Also See : Suzie Bates Announces Retirement After T20 World Cup 2026
Gujarat Titans Playing XI
| Player | Role |
|---|---|
| Sai Sudharsan | Batter |
| Shubman Gill (c) | Captain |
| Jos Buttler (w) | Wicketkeeper |
| Washington Sundar | All-rounder |
| Shahrukh Khan | Batter |
| Jason Holder | All-rounder |
| Rahul Tewatia | All-rounder |
| Rashid Khan | Bowler |
| Manav Suthar | Bowler |
| Kagiso Rabada | Bowler |
| Mohammed Siraj | Bowler |
Impact Subs: Prasidh Krishna, Anuj Rawat, Glenn Phillips, Nishant Sindhu, Arshad Khan
Why These Changes Are Important
RCB will miss Phil Salt at the top. He was in good form, so now more responsibility will be on Padikkal and the middle order. The team may use Jacob Bethell later as an impact player while chasing.
Gujarat Titans have added Jason Holder, which gives them more balance. He can contribute with both bat and ball. Manav Suthar’s return also gives more bowling options.
Match Importance
This is RCB’s final league game at home this season. Both teams will want to finish strong. RCB will look to chase confidently after winning the toss, while GT will aim to continue their good form.
CricketMAN2 will keep sharing updates as the match progresses.
